Thursday, December 20, 2012

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

There are 4 applications related to the wine business in the new gTLD program. Yesterday took place new gTLD prioritization draw where each application was assigned a randomly-drawn priority number. These priority numbers are used to determine the order in which initial evaluation results are released. To learn more about the "Initial Evaluation", the direct link on the ICANN web site is here (watch the video).

.WINE application number 1 from "June Station LLC" came out in second, on position 917;

.WINE application number 2 from "dot Wine Limited" came out third, on position 1158;

.WINE application number 3 from "Afilias Limited" came out fourth, on position 1291.

Unless I am wrong, I believe .VIN domain names could see the day before .WINE unless the .VIN application is blocked because of the GAC Early Warning or an Objection(s). Even it this was the case, I doubt this will happen. It is possible the Independent Objector acts too.

Even if I completely disagree with ICANN regarding how similar applications in different languages are considered, another good thing for the .VIN application is that - and this is a paradox - ICANN seems to consider that .VIN has nothing to do with .WINE. Writing the famous New gTLD Applicant Guidebook, no one has imagined a Top-Level Domain could mean the exact same thing in another language and raise the exact same problems when it addresses to a specific industry (1).

Also, the Applicant Guidebook does not consider that a specific industry targeted by a domain name extension should be consulted: wine institutions where never asked this simple question: "what do you think about creating domain name extensions for the wine business?". ICANN considers it is the role of the one who pays to offer domain name registration rules, not the industry targeted to write them and ensure consumers will be protected: the Registrants (basically: you). A good solution offered by ICANN was to apply as a "Community project" and have the extension endorsed by a representative of a Community...but unfortunately:

Few knew;

Few paid interest;

No one in the wine industry had the money to invest in these expensive new gTLDs;

Those who knew:

...you will read the end of this sentence in my memories;

...you will read the end of this sentence in my memories;

...you will read the end of this sentence in my memories.

So according to ICANN and since .VIN has absolutely nothing to do with .WINE, these 2 applications will probably be treated separately and one will see the day before the other!

There are 3 .WINE applications in competition and it is possible they go to auction unless 2 of the 3 applicants drop theirs and/or have objections. Here too, it is possible the Independent Objector decides to act.
What is important here is that all .WINE applications are linked in the validation process and one of them is in position 1291 on a list of 1917 when .VIN is in position 618. The application for .VIN will be treated first.

It is also possible I am completely wrong but all comments are welcome and will be published on LinkedIn if you want to participate.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I will not use (again) the example of problems the wine industry is about to face if .VIN and .WINE domain names don't have the same rules (to register domain names) but if I can be sure about one thing, it is what is written below:

For new gTLD design education, contact Jean Guillon (for graphics and design, I will give you another address).

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Many of you already know about the "New generic Top-Level Domains" group on LinkedIn. I often received very good feed-backs about it and most of its members like to receive daily news i their emails about what is happening in the new gTLD world.

A few days ago, Google offered a new tool to create "Communities". I find Google is very efficient: when it launches a tool, it improves it with time.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

This post follows my previous post regarding the answer received from the French GAC.

GAC members were kind enough to explain to me the process followed by the French Government to have a GAC Early Warning raised.

My English is not good enough to translate the sentence after so I will leave as it is, it French, and so non French speakers - just like it is the case for most ICANN publications - I will request English readers to learn French to understand what is written :

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Carl Fremont from Digitas, one of the leading Integrated brand agencies is confirmed to speak on the agenda of the Digital Marketing & gTLD Strategy Congress which will take place in New-York City in March 11-12, 2013 at the Dream Downtown Hotel.

Two senior speakers from leading agency Interbrand are also confirmed to speak.

Many of the round 1 applicants have told organizers of the conference that they are very keen to hear from the agencies as this will help them refine their launch strategies as well as identify what content should appear on their TLD as opposed to their dot com.

Will also be announced this week that Georges-Edouard Dias was secured to speak, he is the Chief Digital Officer at L'Oréal: a keynote at the event. As a major brand with 13 or so applications L'Oréal has a really interesting story to tell to the audience.